Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 4
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DIAMOND SCHMITT
CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS (2026)
p ThunderTRUSS, the in-house employee band at Diamond Schmitt Architects, performs at Eco Jam, a Toronto event dedicated to preserving Canadian forests.
Striking a Chord
One-of-a-kind perks help this year’s SME winners distinguish themselves
I
n the world of employee perks, there
are very few workplaces that can
boast having an in-house band on
tap, but Diamond Schmitt
Architects has had one for years.
Since the members are in the design and
construction industry, the band is known
as ThunderTRUSS, and they play a variety
of rock and other styles. “We perform at
holiday parties and do industry and
charity events, a few times a year,” says
associate Persis Lam, who handles
keyboards and also sings. “It started in an
industry battle of the bands about 15 years
ago, and it’s evolved into a larger
enterprise.”
The band’s benefit to the Toronto-based
company as an employer seems clear. “I
think it shows a level of interest in
supporting creativity, because we are a
creative industry,” says Lam. “And the
band is almost like a microcosm of
collaboration.” The members, who have
cycled in and out over the years alongside
long-time stalwarts like Lam, bring their
own equipment, but the company
supports them with rehearsal time and
some expenses. “The musicians come
from every part of the organization,” says
Lam. “There’s no sort of discrimination. So
we try to bring those collective voices
together, which is very much like our
office culture.”
For winners of Canada’s Top Small and
Medium Employers (2026), unusual perks
that can enhance employee engagement
are often a key way to distinguish
themselves from other employers, notes
Kristina Leung, managing editor at
Mediacorp Canada, which runs the
competition. “Larger organizations work
with different economies of scale when it
comes to benefits, but with SMEs, there’s a
special focus on engagement — responding to your people’s needs, knowing who
your people are on a deeper level. There’s
a more intrinsic sense of community and
almost being like family.”
SMEs have often led the way with perks
that once seemed unusual and later
became much more the norm, such as the
unlimited vacation offered by winners like
Vancouver-based Cadence Leadership +
Communications. At CGI Constructors in
Toronto, you’ll also get your birthday off.
Many, too, look to bring people together
through activities and travel. Vancouver’s
Acuitas Therapeutics organizes a series of
sports events. But even better, every year
the company hosts an off-site strategic
planning session for all employees,
alternating between Maui in Hawaii and
Whistler, B.C.
There are little things, too. Aside from
the house band, Diamond Schmitt also
offers employees daily helpings of free
fruit and other snacks throughout its
multi-floor operation. “We have a really
good office culture in general,” says Lam.
“For me, being in the band really feels like
the cherry on top.”
— Berton Woodward
